The week that never was
by zuliboy
Summary: Sweet memories in the pool, the adventures of finding Rachel, that kiss. Those never happened. The aftermath of Chloe's death hit hard on Max Caulfield. But a dark force is threatening her recovery. Can she save Chloe once more? More importantly, can she save herself?
1. Chapter 1 : The Aftermath

" _...leave them out of this, bitch."_

 _Max cowered silently behind the bathroom stall, her heart thumping hard in her chest._

" _I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself!"_

 _Her heart was beseeching her mouth to open, to the find that voice to warn her to stop talking. That talking to him like that would only make matters worse. But no words came out._

" _You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with!"_

 _Max hugged her knees, her ears perking up to the sound of the clicking of Nathan's gun._

" _Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!"_

 _It didn't come as a surprise to Max. In fact, it was all too familiar to her._

" _Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"_

 _A never-ending cycle of that fateful day, where she lost everything. Her confidence. Her best friend. And more importantly, herself._

" _You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs."_

 _As the storm began to peak, she prayed for a miracle. She prayed for this ordeal to end._

" _Nobody would ever miss your "punk ass" would they?"_

 _She had a one. That miracle. That saving grace. But that doesn't matter._

" _Get that gun away from me, psycho!"_

 _It's all gone now._

"NO!"

Max jerked awake and into a seating position on her bed, panting heavily. She glanced around quickly, her eyes greeted by the morning sun piercing through the blinds of her windows. She wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead, and the small streaks of tears inching down her cheeks. She hugged herself tightly and wrapped herself in the comfort of her blanket.

 _Another dream._

Max stared into nothingness as the morning radio music buzzed softly in the background. Suddenly, she heard the ringtone coming from her computer. She got up, and shakily sauntered over to her desk. An email popped up in her inbox, one from Blackwell.

 _It was nice that Mom and Dad let me stay in Blackwell dorm. In fact, I'd rather them send me an email and berate me to come home over Principal fucking Wells._

Max clicked the email and a long string of text awaited her.

 _Dear Ms. Maxine Caulfield_

 _I am writing in to inform that your week long grieving period as requested by your parents has concluded today. Should you require an additional period of absence from classes, a letter to my office with your parents' approval would be greatly appreciated. Unless approved, the Blackwell faculty expect you to return to campus and to your classes punctually and catch up on the missed content over the past week._

 _If troubled by any matters, feel free to approach a member of staff or consult me personally. You know where to find me._

 _We hope for your quick recovery and hope you continue pursuing your passions here in Blackwell Academy._

 _Yours sincerely_

 _Raymond Wells_

 _Principal, Blackwell Academy._

 _Blackwell awaits my return? Heh. What, there's gonna be a resounding welcome for me when I reach campus grounds? I doubt it._

Max crawled back into bed and concealed herself in her cocoon.

 _What's the point of going back to school? It's not like the new photography teacher will be as good Mr Jefferson._

 _If he really was great in the first place._

Max reached over and slid her hands in between the edge of her bed and the wall. Her hand fiddled around before producing a packet of cigarettes. She popped one out the box, lit it and let chemicals take over.

A trail of smoke swirled above her as Max exhaled the gas from her mouth. A comforting feeling washed over, as the cigarette hung loosely between her fingers.

 _I can see why Chloe always liked these things. It really helps take away the pain and stress you feel inside. Heh, funny. I remember 2 weeks adobo would nearly barf on the mere smell of smoke. Look what I have become._

A small smile formed on Max's face.

 _Like Chloe._

Max took one more long puff and laid back on her bed.

 _*Thud**Thud*_

" _Max!"_

Max shot up and turned her body towards the door. It was Kate. Max could see her facial expression shift from one of concern to one of shock.

" _Um, hey Kate."_

"Jesus Christ Max, what happened to you? You're a mess," cried Kate, as she made her way closer to Max's bed, knocking over several cups of ramen noodles in the process.

"Max, what's that in your hand?" Kate asked, as she attempted to snatch her half-lit cigarette. Max attempted to conceal it under her bed, but Kate was just a tad bit quicker.

"It's nothing."

"Max, is this a cigarette? Have you been smoking? " asked Kate, a tinge of aggression hung around her words.

"Why are you even here? Why do you give a shit about what I do? Why, does it offend Jesus or something?" Max said, her words stinging like poison.

Max got up and walked over to the other side of the room, arms crossed. Kate sighed but remained seated on Max's bed.

"Principal Wells asked me to pay you a visit since you barely left your room in the past couple of days. Says that I am probably the best person to help you." Kate said, her eyes fixated on the still figure adjacent to her.

"I don't need your help. I don't need anyone."

"Max, look at me."

Kate words fell on deaf ears, Max stood motionless in front of her. It seemed that Kate's patience just ran out.

"Max! Come here," Kate stood up, grabbed Max by the wrists and tugged her to face the mirror, much to Max's surprise.

"What the fuck?" cried Max, as she struggled against Kate's vice-like grip.

"Max, look at yourself."

Max's eyes fell upon her reflection in the mirror and was slightly taken aback _. Good god, what happened to me?_ Her hair was like a clown's wig, all fuzzy and out of place. Her clothes were stained with soft drinks and acne even began to form on her face. Max took a moment to take a whiff of herself, and was disgusted.

 _God, I smell like cigarettes and unwashed laundry. Kate was right. I'm a mess._

Max tilted her head downwards, in shame and disgust. Kate placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Look what this… thing you're going through is doing to you. This is not the Max Caulfield I know. The Max Caulfield I know prides in looking good, even if she doesn't have the best of fashions. So please… Max. Get yourself together."

Kate's words sunk into Max's head and settled. But part of her didn't want to accept that looking good is necessary.

 _There's no one to impress._

"I should probably get cleaned up," Max said, turning to Kate.

"Atta girl! I'll meet you in class later, and we can talk about… whatever's bothering you," Kate responded, her lips forming into a smile.

"Thanks, Kate," Max replied, as they two embraced.

"Ooh, and one more thing," Kate pulled out an envelope from her purse and handed it to Max, whom in turn accepted it gingerly.

"I found this on your doorstep and it remained there for quite a while, so I kept it for a while."

Max fiddled with the envelope. _No name, no return address._

"Who's it from?" asked Max. Kate gave a slight shrug before closing the door behind her. Max walked back to her bed and sat down, the springs squeaking beneath.

She opened it.

And her hairs stood on end.

 _ **Thanks for killing Chloe.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Cataclysm

Chapter 2: Cataclysm

Max walked slowly towards campus, now clad in her generic pink doe shirt and Walmart jeans, a faint smell of jasmine clinging to her clothes. Although laboured, her breathing quickened as her anxiety intensified. As much as she wanted to start a fresh, the thought of being around the same people that didn't give two shits about her weeks ago didn't excite her.

As she walked she could see the jocks, all sweaty and smelly from their morning run, making their way into campus. Others as well, all back to their normal routines.

 _I remember how Kate told me how school was so quiet when they learned about the police finding Rachel's body and about Chloe's death._

 _I guess they've moved on._

Max tousled her hair backwards as she approached the entrance of campus. At the moment, she froze. She breathed in and exhaled forcefully, the distinct conversation of her schoolmates penetrating the doors separating them.

As Max stepped into the halls, silence immediately ensued. All eyes turned towards the small figure standing in front of the door. Max paused, looking at them, her anxiety heightening.

 _It's OK, Max. Just head to your locker, you'll be fine._

In an attempt to break the tension, Max hurriedly walked towards her locker. The distant murmurs of students, Max didn't care. In their defence, they did have a reason for staring at Max. Who wouldn't be curious when they saw a crying girl being escorted out of the same bathroom where a girl had just been shot? Max fiddled furiously with the lock on her locker, when a hand touched her shoulder.

"AH!" A shrill scream erupted from her mouth.

"Whoa, Max. It's me!" It was Warren, his face momentarily stunned with Max's reaction.

Max clutched her chest.

"Warren, don't scare me like that!" she said, as she turned towards her locker.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. How are you doing?" asked Warren, innocently.

"I'm fine, Warren. Better, I mean."

"Where have you been? I didn't see you in school for the past few days," Warren asked.

"A little sick, I guess. After all that's happened."

Max continue rummaging through her locker, looking for her AP English textbook, as Warren occasionally filled and unfilled his pockets with his fists.

"So uh I heard… rumours about you. That you were in that bathroom."

Max didn't stop, as Warren's eyes burned into her back.

"What did they say?" she asked, her eyes closed. As if trying to suppress emotions that were threatening overflow her emotional barrage.

"Well, um… Alyssa said that you were trying to help uh… what's her name?"

"Chloe."

"Yeah, right. So… Taylor said that Nathan just flipped out on Chloe cause Nathan had some dirt on her. And uh… Victoria said that Chloe sorta provoked him into acting that way so it's not his fault. Oh, and Zach mentioned that Chloe-"

 _I can't believe this._

"And you believe THEM?" sneered Max, as she stuck her finger out toward the open hall.

"N-no, I didn't say that! I just hea-"

"You believe the word of people who weren't even IN there? How gullible can you be, Warren?" Max retorted, her voice rising, gaining the attention of the other students around them. Max refocused her attention on her books, as Warren stood awkwardly beside her.

"You must have really liked her."

Max froze. Her hands, clutching her pencil-case, tensed up mid-air. Her eyes, staring into the nothingness. Her body, shuddering lightly.

"And she must have meant a lot to you."

Max turned towards Warren, still standing there, radiating sympathy.

"My whole world," Max said, her voice cracking.

A momentary, tangible silence hung between them. Without warning, Max shut her locker and began walking away from Warren.

"Max, wait!" called Warren, as she tried to catch her. But Max took off running, like a lost doe. Warren sighed, and didn't pursue.

As Max ran, her barrage of emotions began to overflow. Her sweater grazed against her face, as the first streaks of tears flooded down her cheeks.

Max felt her cheeks burn, as she splashed cold water onto her face.

 _Fuck this. Fuck this._

As she turned off the faucet, she gazed into the mirror. And her eyes widened as she realized where she was.

 _The bathroom. No, no, fuck! How did I get here? This is the last place I want to be._

Max looked around anxiously, as if the walls were going to close in on her. She began to pace around anxiously, hugging her body. When she saw it. The bloodstain on the floor. She cupped the mouth with her hand.

 _God, no._

Her eyes narrowed on the spot, when it hit her.

A familiar feeling.

"Argh!"

A searing headache ripped right through her head, as worse as she could imagine. She crouched into a ball, trying to fight the immense pain trying to break her skull. She wiped her hand on her nose.

Blood.

 _What's going on? My rewind is gone, why am I still feeling this?_

As the walls around her began to turn an ominous orange, a flash of light blinded her. Max clutched her head tightly, hoping to alleviate the pain searing through her.

Silence.

Max's eyes slowly opened as the bathroom was now fully enveloped in orange. Sweat dripped down her neck.

"So what do you want?"

The recognizable sound of Nathan's voice echoed of the walls, amplifying the fear within Max.

"I hope you checked the perimeter as my step-ass would say, now let's talk bidness…"

 _ **wHy DiDnT yOu SaVe Me MaX?**_

Chloe's voice resonated off the walls brought shudders to Max's body. Fresh tears fell freely from her eyes.

 _ **wHy dId yOu LEt mE DIe MaX¿**_

"No, no! I didn't let you die! I can't bear to do that!"

Silence immediately submerged the orange bathroom. Max crawled slowly and peered behind the safety of the stall. Nathan and Chloe, frozen. Mid-confrontation. Eyes hard onto each other. Max's breathing reverberated off the walls, but hitched upon what she saw.

Chloe's eyes slid to the left, gazing at her. Max watched as Chloe's head tilted to the side, and their eyes met. Her mouth slowly opened, and she uttered a call to Max. A call to her lover.

 _ **Then save me.**_

Another shockwave of pain ripped through her head, as the confrontation continued. Gripping tightly onto the stall door, Max raised herself steadily and staggered. Anger and desperation pulsated through her veins as her eyes seared into Nathan's back. An unknown source of courage had just found its channel.

"Nathan, stop!"

As she etched closer to Nathan, he spun around searching for the source of the noise. Chloe looked on incredulously.

"Who's there?

It was as if he couldn't see her.

"Don't. Touch. Chloe. Again."

Nathan continued looking around frantically, pointing the gun in multiple directions.

As if on cue, it seemed Chloe snapped back into reality. She hurled her knee into Nathan's stomach and pushed him to the ground. The gun fell and clanked noisily on the floor. She quickly snatched the gun from the floor and aimed at Nathan threateningly.

"Don't ever touch me again, freak! Get out!"

Nathan glared nervously at her, before running out the door. More specifically, running through it.

Like it wasn't real.

Silence ensued as the two girls stood looking at each other, panting rapidly. Max approached Chloe slowly, wanting to embrace her.

When another beam of light blinded her.

As soon as her eyes opened, Max found herself lying on the floor, still in the bathroom. The orange filter was now gone. The normal dull, grey coloured walls littered with graffiti greeted her instead. Max sat up, her head spinning. As her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she noticed a figure lying down in front of the bathroom door. The girl with the blue hair.

"Chloe!"

Max quickly ran towards her best friend, hugging her tightly.

"Oh my god, Chloe, you're here!"

Chloe's eyes fluttered open, dazed.

"M-max? Is that you?" Chloe asked.

"Chloe, I'm so glad you're alive!" said Max, as she hugged her best friend tighter.

"But I'm not."

Max gazed at Chloe, slightly taken aback by her response.

"But I saved you?"

Chloe shook her head, weakly, a sweet smile plastered in her face.

"Max dear, if you… want to save me… find us. You...have the… power."

Max shook her head quickly, as if in denial.

"Wh-why? I don't have my powers anymore. And why do I need to do that, I saved you!"

Chloe's head tilted to the side, before uttering:

"tHeN wHy dID YOu sHoOt mE mAx?"

A gunshot rang out as Max screamed in terror, watching a bullet-sized hole form in Chloe's body. Blood sprayed all over Max's clothes as Chloe's lifeless body slumped to the ground.

Max stumbled backward falling on her rear, hearing a clunking noise coming from her right hand.

It was Nathan's gun.

Max screamed in horror and shock, as she clutched her ears, attempting to protect herself. She watched in disgust, as Chloe's lifeless body morphed into something horrible. An indescribable entity.

"No! NO!"

"Max!"

Max shook out her daze when she saw Kate shaking her body, Ms Grant standing beside her. Max let out a shriek of distress, as she burst into tears.

"Max, it's just me, Kate! Shh, don't cry. I'm here."

Tears rolled freely down Max's cheeks.

"Max, what happened? Your nose is bleeding," asked Kate, her tone soft and compassionate.

"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe, I shot her, I shot her!" cried Max hysterically, pointing her finger madly at the door. For a moment, Kate and Ms Grant turned to look at each other, before looking at what she was pointing.

"Max, there's nothing there."

Max shot up from her seated position and pushed aggressively past Kate and Ms. Grant, only to find nothing.

Not even the bloodstain.

"She was just there! Didn't you all see it?"

Ms. Grant and Kate stood there cautiously because Max was like a sleeping lion; they weren't sure if Max was going to pounce on them if they approached. Max looked at the floor when she spotted an envelope. The same colour, the same size as the one on her doorstep. She quickly tore it open, unveiling a new message.

 _ **Find us. To find me.**_

 **Author's note : Hi all! Thank you so much for reading up till this point! The series continues... soon.**

 **Till then.**

 **-Z.**


	3. Chapter 3 : Pathfinder

Chapter 3: Pathfinder

Andre looked on sympathetically, his body towering over the small figure seated in front of him.

"I'll leave both of you to it then."

As Andre heard the door close, he strolled over to one of his closets, and retrieved a box of tissues. He approached the cowering figure seated in front of his desk and extended the box of tissues to it. He watched as a quivering arm reached out and pulled several tissues from the box, all the completely silent. Andre sighed, as he strolled back and sat on his work desk.

"Glad you could make it Max."

 _Make it? I didn't want to be here. Ms Grant dragged me here._

"Uh…thanks, Mr Foster." Max responded, her voice breaking as she uttered Andre's name. Andre sat down, his desk squeaking as his weight pressed against the supports.

"Are you comfortable in telling me what happened?" Andre watched as Max shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and looked him straight in the eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot red, with round black marks surrounding her eyelids. Andre was sure that there were wrinkles as Max sighed.

"Well, I saw… I-I mean I… had a vision of a girl being shot and it was like-like a nightmare but it felt so… real."

 **Be careful with this one, Andre.**

"So, you saw a girl get shot, just now?"

"Yeah?"

"Where did this take place?"

"Th-the bathroom."

Andre paused, realising what Max was referring to.

"You were in there when it happened? When Nathan Prescott shot Chloe Price?"

Max momentarily went silent.

"Yes."

 **So it was her. The one Ray was talking about.**

"Max, from what I can gather, these hallucinations are just symptoms of PTSD. The effects are usually triggered by places or objects that remind us of these traumatic incidents. In your case, when you visited that bathroom, it triggered the hallucination since it reminded you of the incident."

 _Thanks for telling me something I know, asshole._

Max pretended to nod in agreement.

"PTSD doesn't happen to all victims of traumatic incidents, though. Factors can affect it's level of occurrence and severity. Factors such as stress, mental health…"

"Even guilt."

Andre's subtle gamble paid off. He had caught Max's attention. Her head rose, and their eyes met.

"Do you feel guilty about what has happened?"

Andre was apprehensive as to whether he played his cards right, unsure on how Max would react.

"I… regret not saving her. That I was a coward and didn't stop Nathan."

"It's not your fault, Max. Hell, even I wouldn't have the guts to confront a man with a gun. Especially if it is in the hands of the likes of-"

"I regret not being there for her when she really needs. I, abandon her for 5 years when she needed me most, didn't even visit her when I first came back to Arcadia Bay and didn't even help her when she got shot. I mean, what kind of friend am I?" Max cried, frustrated and angry.

Andre looked in knowingly, trying to put the pieces together.

"You were friends with Chloe Price?"

"Best friends."

 **No wonder. Is this the Max that she was referring to all along? Max Caufield?**

"It all makes sense now. You're the Max Chloe was referring to all along"

"You know her?" Max's eyes lit up.

"Max, I have been the guidance counsellor in this school for nearly 20 years. Every problem regarding school affairs, I've handled them. Chloe was no exception. In fact, you're seating in the same chair she did when she came into my office."

Max smiled, as she gripped the edges of the seat.

"She was a troubled student, teachers would write reports to Principal Wells about her misconduct and I would be slandered any time my methods of steering her into the right path didn't work."

"Chloe is the kindest and the most compassionate person I could have. It's just that… no one really saw that in her. She was like an injured bird, hurt with William's passing and people were just hard on her. Sometimes you need to be kind and accommodating with people and they will heal, regardless."

 **Preach Max. Damn, Nathan would have become better if I had tried that earlier. But his pretentious-ass father whisked him away. And it's too late now.**

"Good point there, Max."

Andre got up and proceeded to open one of his drawers on his desk, producing a yellow file nearly full with whatever contents was in it. He held it out in front of Max.

"What's this?" Max asked, accepting the envelope file from him.

"Well, during the first few sessions with Chloe, she was adamant in opening up to me about what was going on. So I proposed writing about how she felt daily about anything…" Max flipped through the individual letters, noticing the familiar writing and drawings of her best friend on the letters.

"I told her to write about what she was doing and reflect on what she did."

 _Wait, why do the letters at the back addressed to me?_

"Then why are they addressed to me?"

"That, I do not know. The initial letters I received were all written formally, all skimping over the private details and what not. But, I guess letter writing became a habit of hers and it became more personal. This school has a strict policy on disclosing private student information, but in due respect to Chloe, she would have wanted you to have it."

Max quickly skimmed through its contents.

"I'm nervous to read them. What did she say?" Max asked.

Andre sighed, a smile forming on his face.

"Well... let's just say, I can't guarantee all it will all be a bed of roses."

Max's heart sank slightly, accepting that Chloe descent into a rebellious teenager wasn't all that pleasant.

"Now, before we leave, I want you to promise me something me before we leave. If anything of what you find upsets you in any way, promise me you will stop. And if it continues to affect you, that you will not be silent about it. Talk to me. You know where to find me."

"I promise."

"Great. Now, as much I enjoy our little talks, Max, it's getting late. And I mean, way past my usual 'get out of here or my wife will kill me' time"

Max laughed lightly, for the first time in hours. Max stood up from her chair and twisted the door handle to Andre's office.

"Max, one more thing."

Max turned around to face Andre.

"If at any point you feel like the grief is too much, remember that: death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily."

* * *

"Mom, mom, I'll be fine! I don't have to go back home," said Max, nearly losing her cool at her mother's consistent nagging.

" **Max, I'm just worried about y-"**

"Mom, I have to go now. Love you."

Max ended the call with her mother, and tossed her phone onto her bed, exasperated. She glanced at the clock.

 _8:45pm._

As Max lay down on her bed, her eyes caught site of the yellow envelope laying on her desk. She got up from her bed and slowly unwrapped the covering, and slowly took out the letters.

 _Good golly, these are so many letters. Talk about commitment. And she even our favourite parchment paper! That's so Chloe._

Max took out the first letter:

 _ **23 August 2010**_

 _ **Mr Forster-Home told me to write this dumb letter so that I could 'vent my feelings in a positive manner'. So here goes asshole…**_

As Max read, she became lost in Chloe's world, the descent becoming more and more apparent.

" _ **So I just failed my first chemistry test today, huzzah!"**_

" _ **Max hasn't responded to me. Gosh, is she dead?"**_

" _ **Why hasn't Mom been visiting Dad? Hope she doesn't mind sneaking out to visit him :b"**_

" _ **Finally met my new dealer today, hope he doesn't flip out over my debt."**_

 _How does Chloe have the balls to share such personal info with Mr Forster? Guess she didn't give a shit._

Max read, and read, lost in a distant utopia of Chloe's world.

" _ **Who this ass-hat my mom has been seeing?"**_

" _ **I can't believe I just caught Firewalk live!"**_

" _ **I can't believe I was just on a train with Rachel Freaking Amber. I could barely keep my cool, Max!"**_

" _ **Rachel needs me, Max. GTG"**_

" _ **I can't believe I just got expelled. About time really."**_

" _ **She's not picking up my calls, where has she gone? Even her parents don't know where she is."**_

" _ **It's been nearly 3 months, Max. Nothing. Someone in this goddamned town has got to know where she is."**_

" _ **Shit, Frank is really going up in my ass. Need to get some money for him now."**_

Max pulled out the last letter, dated 10 October 2013. It was no longer written on parchment paper, the letter was written on notebook paper, the distinct tearing marks visible on the left hand side. Max breathed in, her eyes weary.

 _ **6 October 2013**_

 _ **I can't believe that prickface fucker Nathan Prescott did what he did to me. Standing with his dumb camera taking pictures of me, he's gonna pay for what he's done. Let's see if he's man enough to meet me in the bathroom. Hell, probably doesn't have the balls and can just waltz right in.**_

 _ **On a side note, I keeping having Deja Vu over the past days, of me dying or something. Hopefully that's nothing. I also heard rumours that you were in town, Max.**_

 _ **I really miss you, and I hope I can meet you soon.**_

 _ **Your blue haired pirate,**_

 _ **Chloe.**_

Max set the letter down, as tears brimmed in her eyes. Feelings of regret, pain and sadness began to fill the emptiness in her heart.

 _Gosh, I-I didn't know Chloe went through so much. From her dad dying, to dealing my selfish ass when I left, dealing with Rachel going missing and then Nathan? She… doesn't deserve that._

 _What kind of world does this?_

Max tried to reorganise the letters back into a neat pile, but clumsily scattered them as they fell from her grasp. She cursed silently, attempting to retrieve the letters.

As she finalised all the letters, she spotted a piece of paper, that flew out when the papers scattered. It was isolated from the rest, eerily so. She knelt down, attempting to pick it up, when she noticed something.

 _Wait, this isn't a letter, it's a Polaroid._

 _The one...from the bathroom._

Max picked up the polaroid gingerly and analyzed it. She gazed at it knowingly, before she dropped it suddenly. Max heard something, the confrontation in the bathroom. She backed away slowly, her breathing rapidly increasing.

 _What was that? Can I… still travel back through this photo?_

 _No, this can't be right. Even if I could, should I save Chloe?_

 _Even if I wanted to, what would I say? What do I do?_

Max watched in shock, as the Polaroid began to fade, unusually fast. Max gripped the photo tightly and, like the lens on a camera, focused on it. As her surroundings began to change into a familiar white blinding colour, Max closed her eyes.

 _Save Chloe. Save her, Max._

* * *

 **A.N: so um HI ALL! Sorry if this story is a little late and rushed because life decides that shit is gonna be packed this week. I promise promise promise that the next part will be here in next week. And boy, do I have stuff to share.**

 **For those of you still unsure, the guy I added, called Andre, isn't a real name in the game. It's just a name I came up with for the guidance cousellor, presumably not seen in the game so yeah.**

 **See you guys next week!**

 **-Z.**


	4. Chapter 4: Excogitation

The ambiguous silence that hung around Max was deafening.

As Max's sapphire blue eyes opened, she expected to see the dull, grey walls of the girls' bathroom, with the distinct confrontation between Nathan and Chloe echoing in the background.

What greeted Max, was pure darkness. As if the space that encompassed her was devoid of any light. Max glanced around, petrified by her unfamiliar surroundings. She couldn't even see herself. She was lost, unaware of where she was.

"Hello! Is anybody there?!" cried Max, into the sea of nothingness. The faintest of echoes reverberated back into her eardrums, sending a chill down her spine.

Max took a few steps forward, like a blind person trying to make their way around.

Suddenly, a blinding white light blasted itself into Max from above like a stage light, the shock causing Max to stumble backwards and fall onto her sides. She shielded her eyes from the light, trying to readjust to her new surroundings. Her breathing intensified.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Max spun around in a panic, trying to locate the source of the voice. She directed her eyes towards the sound of footsteps, as they grew louder and louder, as if approaching her.

The footsteps stopped, and another spotlight was cast, a couple hundred feet in front of her.

Max's heart stopped momentarily as she realised who she was looking at.

"We meet again."

It's… me.

"It's you." Max said with a quivering voice.

"It's me?" Maxine replied, gesturing at herself.

"Where am I? What is this place? Did you do this?" Max asked, struggling to stand up from her seated position.

"Where are we? I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Maxine responded, sarcastically. Max stared into her reflection, lost and confused.

"You really haven't learned your lesson yet, haven't you? You want to back, and save her. And destroy everything again." Maxine crossed her arms, tapping her foot against the bleach-white floor.

Max shook her head, as if in denial.

"GOD, why are you so stupid!" Maxine screamed, the walls surrounding them vibrating vigorously.

"I KNOW you're better than this Max. You can't save what's already lost. Why do you even care for this good for nothing girl anyway? You are just going to bring pain and suffering to everyone, including us."

Suddenly, the room illuminated. Max was suddenly standing on top of the cliff, overlooking Arcadia Bay as an E6 Tornado began to wreck havoc through the entire city. Rain and debris began blasting her body, as faint screams for help and panic echoed behind the whistle of the wind.

The room then plunged into darkness, as two spotlights shone onto the two Maxes once more. Maxine approached Max and placed her mouth against her ear.

"Do you want to, again, be the reason for the death of more than a thousand people and the destruction of Arcadia Bay?"

Tears began to stream down Max's face.

"DO YOU?" Maxine screamed, causing Max to recoil in fright.

"Get away from me you freak!" Max cried, pushing Maxine forcefully, causing her to stumble and fall.

The room was overcome by silence, except for the breathing of both girls. Max watched her reflection with caution and fright, her heart thumping hard in her chest.

"Heh, you call me a freak? Look at yourself, first." Max blocked out her words.

All of a sudden, a channel of thoughts began to flow in her mind. Max stood up determined, and stalked towards her reflection.

"You are afraid."

Maxine looked at her incredulously, her eyebrows pointed downwards.

"You are just trying to intimidate me, because you have no power. You can't do anything. You are just a voice in the back of my head. You can't, and you will not stop me."

As Max said this, the familiar orange tint began to surround the walls of the room. A transition through a photo. Max watched as blood began to trickle down Maxine's nose.

"No, NO, that's not true!"

The walls continued to change.

"Max, stop. You are not thinking clearly."

As Maxine said this, the walls froze. Max looked around, worriedly.

"I know that dealing with Chloe's death isn't easy, but you are just lost and confused. You are just doing all this, to just save her. That's it. Why would you readily give up the lives of thousands of people, just to save one that matters to you when the opportunity presents it?" Maxine said, this time putting up a sympathetic voice.

"I thought you already made up your mind on top of that cliff with the butterfly photo we took. Why do you, right now, want to change that?"

Max continued to stare at her reflection, her mind going in multiple direction.

"Max, answer me."

"I...don't know. I miss her. I really do." Max sobbed, fresh tears began streaming down her cheeks. Maxine looked on, but didn't move an inch.

"I feel what you feel, and going through this is hard. But, going back in time and saving her once again, is just gonna repeat that week all over again."

Maxine took Max's hands into hers.

"Please, stop this. There are better ways than this. You can… talk to Kate, maybe visit Joyce and David or talk to Mr Forster, if you want."

Max swallowed hard, her eyes nearly bloodshot red.

"No."

"What?"

"I will save Chloe."

"After everything I just said, about the town, th-"

"There is no proof that it will happen again. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. That storm happened because of why I did that week. Everything will play out differently, this time."

"You. Are willing to bet. THE LIVES. Of people. On some dumb, retarded theory you spontaneously came up with?!"

"Yes, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

Maxine flailed her arms, noticeably exhausted.

"Fine. I'm just trying to protect you, protect us. If that's what you want, go ahead. You're right, I can't stop you. Not now. I'll let you go on your little journey. I don't care."

Maxine said, as the walls began to fully change the room illuminating further.

"Just remember one thing: Quid me nutriet,"

By now, the room was blinding white, the intensity obscuring her view of her reflection.

"me destruit."

* * *

The blinding light began to fade, giving way to the familiar surroundings. The fire alarm, the bucket and the washing materials. All seemed to be in order, nothing out of the ordinary. Max let out a sigh of relief, but panic began to rise as the confrontation between Nathan and Chloe began to escalate. She carefully peered over the safety of her stall, and swallowed hard.

 _You've made it this far. You only have one shot at this. Make it count, Max._

Max appeared from behind the stall, standing in front of the duo, confidence radiating from her body.

"Nathan, stop!"

The orotund tone to Max's voice surprised them all, even Max. Nathan spun around in a fit of panic and pointed the gun in Max's direction, much to Chloe's brief relief.

"Who are you? Stay right there!" Nathan cried, haphazardly aiming the gun at Max, whilst constantly turning towards Chloe.

"Nathan, please. Put the weapon down."

"Shut up! Don't tell me what to do."

Max ignored his warning and advanced slowly towards Nathan.

"Didn't your parents ever tell you not to meddle in other people's business?" Nathan said, the gun swinging precariously in his grasp.

Chloe recovered from her initial shock and found her voice again.

"Max, please, this is between both of us. I can settle it myse-"

"Hey, BITCH. Why don't you just shut the hell up you stupid slut!"

As Nathan uttered those words, Max froze. Those words would have hurt Chloe but in reality those words stung Max's heart. Anger and pain began to pulsate within her veins. It was if an unknown force began to take over her body.

 _You do not talk about Chloe like that._

 _That's enough._

* * *

Chloe watched as the next few seconds transitioned into a realm of confusion.

Reality had become a distant blur. Voices slurred, sound dampened and senses diluted.

The sound of running water.

The sound of screams and shouts.

The sound of fabric rubbing against fabric.

 _The sound of a gunshot._

The sound of a lifeless body thumping against the stone-cold floor.

The sound of another scream erupting against the walls of the bathroom.

The sound of a gun as it clanked against the cold floor.

The sound of a panic male voice as he shook the seemingly lifeless body.

Chloe cupped her mouth, pain striking forcefully onto her heart. Tears streaked down her cheeks as the pain began to engulf her.

Lying there in the pool of her own blood, was Max, her best friend as the room began to transition into a familiar white colour.

* * *

 **A.N : Jesus, these chapters are getting shorter and shorter...**

 **Anyway, I want to apologise if this chapter is late and much shorter than usual, cause life sucks balls and fills with plans I don't want to be in.**

 **I promise that the next chapter will be longer and more interesting, and hopefully you all will be here to still enjoy it.**

 **Actually a retard,**

 **-Z.**


	5. Chapter 5: Recuperation

A boisterous, ceaseless ringing resided within Max's head which spun in a bewildered state. Expeditiously, her eyes began to adjust to the blinding white surrounding her and Max hastily examined the unfamiliar vicinity with partial shock and curiosity.

 _Shit… my head hurts. Where am I? What happened?_

Max rubbed her eyes sleepily, brushing out the dirt accumulated in her eye-sacs. She took several moments to catch her breath, slightly taken aback by how distinctly clear her breathing sounded, as if the room she was in was a vacuum void of any sound. However, the silence was short-lived, perpetuated with what sounded like clapping. Max turned towards the sound, and came face to face with a familiar face.

It was Maxine, clapping and sporting a sarcastic smile.

"Well done, Max. Looks like your plan went allllllllllll according to plan," Maxine said, her sarcasm soaring through the roof. Max just eyed her with mild annoyance before seeing a patch of red, stained on her reflection. She processed it momentarily, before glancing down at her own white doe shirt. She gasped as she saw a similar patch of red on her shirt. Removing her shirt quickly, she cried as she saw the gunshot wound on her lower hip, still fresh and bleeding. Max began to inspect the wound, but carelessly brushed against it.

"Agh!" Both girls simultaneously yelled out, in an attempt to suppress the pain. Max watched as the fresh blood began to ooze out of the open wound, followed by a stinging pain in her head.

"You idiot! You nearly killed us both! What were you thinking? You think you're some hero?!" cried Maxine, still wincing in pain from her master's body. Max's breathing began to labour as the pain subsided. Fresh tears began to slide down the side of her face.

"Do-do you know where we are?" Max asked, hastily.

Maxine took a deep breath, managing to overcome the pain of the gunshot wound and approached herself.

"Seriously you don't know what happened? Well, in all honesty, I too have very little clue. What you experience, is what I experience. At the point where your 'heroine instincts' kicked in, everything became a blur. For you. But not for me." Maxine began, gesturing wildly as she did so. Max watched on, trying to remember what had happened.

"You decided that in order to protect Chloe Price, there was nothing you can do to persuade Nathan to stop. So you, **intervened."** As Maxine uttered the last word, bit by bit, the series of events began rushing back into her mind.

 _Oh god, did I-_

"You pounced on him like a cat," Maxine remarked, chuckling a little, "swinging for his arms, trying to knock the gilded gun out his hand. Honestly, we should join Blackwell's judo team, because you managed to suppress him like a freaking cop would. Hell, you should take on David next time."

 _I really did that? All I remember is that I just grabbed both his arms and tried to push him to the ground. Where did all this new strength come from?_

"But, my dear Max, you made the biggest mistake of doing so. Animals are a very amazing species indeed, having a built-in mechanism in our body that allows us to sense danger and allows us to react accordingly. Even if it means resorting to **drastic measures** to escape said danger. When you went for his arms, you provoked him even further and he tried to fight back. When that mechanism failed him, he fell upon his last resort. You went for his arms, not his hands. THAT gun was exposed to our body AND, in a desperate attempt to save himself from you, he pulled the trigger." Maxine concluded, matter-of-factly.

A shiver ran across Max spine as the timeline of events began to pass through her mind.

 _He shot me. He actually shot me. Did he-_

"So...are-are we dead?" Max asked, her words quivering as they were uttered. Max watched as her reflection turned away from her and stared into the distance of whiteness. Max heard her reflection exhale before turning back towards her.

"God, I actually don't know. Like you said, I'm just subconscious in the back of your mind. There are just some things I can and can't do," replied Maxine, chuckling slightly. She then sighed, a sad smile forming on her cheeks.

 _Why, all of a sudden, is she being-_

"You know I can hear you right, Max? No need for monologuing. Just say shit you want to. There's nobody else here except us." Maxine interrupted, causing a sharp gasp from her other self. Max nodded, before standing up, casting a long shadow in front of her. In contrast, Maxine stood there, her shadow void in existence.

"Why are you being nice to me, all of a sudden?" Max asked, rubbing her temples. She braced for the worst, as she cautiously watched her reflection's every move. Her eyes observed Maxine slowly turn towards her before a blinding burst of light caused her eyelids to slam shut. Pure whiteness lasted momentarily as if a camera's flash was amplified by multiple degrees in terms of brightness. As Max reopened her eyes, she caught sight of her alternate self again but this time she was different. Dressed different, more specifically.

Maxine was no longer in Max's generic shirt and jeans. But, in a milky white gown.

No blood, but normal. Purity.

Maxine looked down and scanned her body, noticing the scars had vanished. A chuckle of laughter escaped from her mouth, and raised her head and gazed into Max.

"Because as much as I want to persuade you out of the ridiculous antics you put yourself into, trying to do that now is pointless. If you don't make it out of here alive, I don't too. All I want you to do, is **heal.** " Maxine said, pointing her index finger upwards. Max narrowed her eyebrows, unsure what Maxine was referencing but a constant sound chimed into the illuminated room.

A heart monitor. Beating steadily. Her heartbeat.

Max watched in awe as the bullet hole in her body, slowly began to patch up and heal, leaving a tiny scar on her left hip. Her clothes changed into an identical white gown her reflection was wearing. She was taken aback when she was hoisted into the air, as a hospital bed slid out of nowhere and she was laid gently on it. Many things were forming at the same time, Max could not keep up.

 _Jesus, I'm in a hospital._

The room surrounding her was slowly turning into a hospital room; a bedside lamp, balloons hanging by her bed, fresh flowers and portraits hanging on the walls. But they were not clear, the room seemed to be in a sort of a blur, much like a filter. Ivy hooks and tubes began to plug itself into Max's wrist and a breathing aid inserted into her nose. All of a sudden, the room became silent. Max could faintly hear the sounds of birds chirping, presumably from the window outside. Maxine walked up to herself and tousled a couple strands of hair from Max's face.

"You know, they say, when people are asleep or 'possibly' in a coma, only sight is the sense that is not activated during that time. The rest; smell, sound, touch are all functioning. You'll see what I mean." Maxine said, before glancing at her imaginary watch on her hand. A few seconds ticked by before it happened.

The sound of a door opening.

Max's ears perked up that sound, replaced by footsteps as a blue-haired teenage girl walked into view. Max gasped into delight, recognising Chloe almost instantly. Max turned towards her reflection, who was standing by her, sporting a sad smile.

"Chloe!"

Max watched as her words were left unheard as Chloe continued to walk towards her bed, sitting on the chair beside it.

"I'll leave you two to it," Maxine muttered, before walking away from Max.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Max asked, her eyes burning into her reflection's back. Maxine turned to face herself, one final time.

"Does it matter? What's more important, is on what you should focus on doing," Max narrowed her eyebrows, as she watched in amazement as her reflection began to rise into the air, like an angel. As she did so, the already white room began to illuminate even brighter, obscuring her view. As the light engulfed her, two words were all that she could hear. A mission. And a calling.

"Waking up."

* * *

Chloe strolled quietly into Max's room, closing the door gently. On one hand, a fresh bouquet of sunflowers. The other, a medium-sized Caramel Latte from Costa Coffee. She sauntered over to Max bed and placed the flowers into the vase on the table. She grabbed her drink and took a long sip of it. She then set the cup down, wiping the remains off her pink lips.

"Hey, kiddo," Chloe said, sitting in the chair next to Max. She eyed her best friend, still comatose, with the heart-rate monitor beeping steadily.

"So it's uh… day 94 maybe? I dunno, I really can't remember," Chloe muttered, laughing slightly at the end, "how are you doing?"

Max chuckled slightly again, as her question was unanswered.

"Well, for me, your trusty Bluebeard pirate, has decided to change her life for the better! I, have, decided, to apply for Bay City College, you know the one I told you about. Uh, you probably don't remember. You think 'Wow, you did that Chloe?", and I would say 'Of course, duh?' Who would've thought that a high school dropout would be eligible for such a place, huh?" Chloe rambled, staring into the window outside.

Chloe looked down, something stirring within her heart. She reached out and tousled a crumple of hair, dangling loosely across Max's face.

"You like your new haircut? Your hair was getting long and the nurse gave me permission to cut it. Not the best Chloe Price's hairstyle, but I think it looks great," Chloe whispered, eyeing Max's hair, cut slightly haphazardly at the edges. Chloe's heart sank further as no response came from the motionless body.

Suddenly, an invisible light bulb appeared and Chloe rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a bulky old-instant camera.

"Ooh, Max! Remember I told you that your camera was unfixable cos you smashed it? Well, turns out Mom knew a guy at your school who said he could help fix your camera. And, look, he really did!" said Chloe, holding out Max's polaroid camera in front of her. It was as if Chloe's positive nature didn't seem to help her at all. Chloe set the camera next to Max's body and crossed her legs.

 _ **God, I longed to hear her voice again. Come on, Max. Speak to me.**_

Chloe stifled a sob, in an attempt to suppress her emotions. However, once the first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. Chloe sobbed louder, gripping tightly onto Max's fragile hand.

"I'm so sorry, Max. I...I should never have put you through all that trouble. I should have never put myself in that sort of trouble again. I can't forgive myself. I'm so, so sorry. I knew Nathan was creepy and psychotic, but I didn't know he had the means to get a gun in this shithole town. I underestimated him. You should not have sacrificed yourself for me, that's just… not you," Chloe muttered, suppressing yet another sob.

"The doctors say your vitals have stagnated these past few days. If you don't make it, I just really want to say that…" Chloe paused, taking in a breath of air.

"I love you, Max. Don't give up on me. "

The feeling of vulnerability, the emptiness; Chloe felt it before. She knelt down, pressing her head against her lap. She lost her father, her pathway to her success, and probably her best friend, her guiding light. Chloe stifled hard, another barrage of tears streaking down both cheeks.

"Who says I have?"

Chloe's ears perked up to the voice, and felt a responsive grip in her palms. Chloe looked up, a look of happy disbelief forming on her face.

Max's eyelids fluttered as she gazed into Chloe's eyes, smiling weakly.

"I love you too, Chloe."

* * *

 **A.N: Aw, ain't that great?**

 **Well, after like 4 drafts of this chapter, I have created this masterpiece. I really wanted to add more details into this. But uh, _we'll save that for another chapter_ , ok? Hopefully, all you readers enjoy this one, stay tuned for more. Do leave a review and share this if you liked it!**

 **Sincerely, from the man that just realised the previous sentence sounded like a cringey youtube outro,**

 **-Z.**


	6. Chapter 6: Reconcilation

Max's eyes tightened as she stared out the windowsill of her hospital bedroom, the bright evening sun partly obscuring a part of the view of the tranquil Arcadia Bay. She grazed against the soft fabric of her new hospital gown, the old one retired after 6 days of service. She turned and momentarily glanced at Chloe, greasy wrinkles plastered beneath had eyes. She too stared into the view, as if mesmerised. A tangible, tense silence hung between them, not that Max didn't enjoy the serenity of it, but it was exaggerated and overdue.

Max tugged at Chloe's jacket, gesturing at her throat, hoarse from dryness. Chloe nodded repeatedly, before gently tipping the cup at an angle near Max's mouth, the sweet warm camomile tea quenching the thirst within Max's throat. Max licked her lips, remnants of the tea clinging on, before sighing in content. The tense silence continued, as Max inched closer towards Chloe.

"I'm glad we're here together," Max said, her voice croaking, before clearing her throat.

"Alone, finally," Chloe muttered, rolling her eyes. Max nodded in agreement, her smile widening, trying to suppress her giggle. It had truly been a hectic day for both of them, particularly for Max. Her awakening had caused such as stir within the Arcadia Bay community, and everyone wanted to see her. The Doctors, the police, her friends, her schoolmates and random people whom she didn't even know; they all wanted to see her. Chloe could barely even get a chance to talk to her the entire day, much to her annoyance.

"I'm… surprised people wanted to see me. After I've been gone for nearly, what, three months?" Max said, her voice soft as she took another sip from her teacup.

"Trust me, dude. What happened in the bathroom, was probably one of the most exciting things that went down in Arcadia Bay in literally months. " Chloe responded.

Max sighed, which gained an uncomfortable recoil from Chloe.

"Sorry, too blunt? Jesus, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's OK, it's fine," Max concluded, waving her hand.

 _Well, she's Chloe. What can I say?_

"I'm just glad that Nathan is caught and all the drama is over," Max said.

"Sista, the drama is all BUT over. The Prescotts are being investigated and one of the most prominent photography icons in Blackwell Academy going down with them? You don't know who to trust in this town?" Chloe uttered with a tone of resignation.

 _Oh god, she knows._

"So...you know what happened to Rachel Amber."

As Max said this, she held her breath awaiting, a calamity of negative emotions to come pouring out of her best friend.

"Well, I'm surprised you know her in the first place," Chloe chuckled, sadly, "when the police dug out her body and her parents told me of her fate, I was heartbroken. I-I was...lost. I didn't know what to do," Chloe said, in between gentle sobs.

"I cried for days. I kept blaming myself for what happened to her. I should have stuck with her. She wanted things done in her life, chasing her dreams, her aspirations; something I couldn't give to her. Look at me! What can a high school dropout and vigilante help an overachieving student chase her dream of becoming a model?" Chloe grit her teeth, in sadness and frustration.

"She wanted things, that I couldn't give. So she traversed the world alone, without me. And we grew more distant. Kinda reminded of me on how you ditched me 5 years ago. And then she disappeared."

Max nodded in silence, wrapping her slender white arms around her best friend.

"I should never have left her alone. Should never have left her with that ELITE ASSHOLE and shithead Mark FUCKERSON!" Chloe cried, banging her fist against the table. The table shook momentarily, the sound echoing throughout the room.

"Chloe, calm down. Please don't get mad," Max confided, her tone soft and merciless. The effect resonated within Chloe as her features softened, and tears streaked down her face. Max scooted closer to her, and embraced her with open arms.

"I...just, I can't save anybody. Just...what kind of world does this?" Chloe muttered, succumbing to another barrage of tears.

 _Oh, Chloe…_

"Chloe, none of this is your fault. Sometimes there are things that are just way beyond our control, don't blame yourself, okay?" Max asked, gripping tighter against Chloe's jacket. Chloe nodded in unison, wiping away the tears brimming her eyelids.

"I really wish I could have done something earlier. If only I could rewind time and just change things."

Max froze before nodding casually in agreement.

"I think we all do."

 _Shit, didn't think we'd reach this bridge so soon._

"How do you know about her anyway?" Chloe asked, cupping Max's hands innocently.

 _Crap, am I giving myself away that easily?_

"I could hear you talk while I was asleep, not everything but, more of bits and pieces of it," Max said, looking into Chloe's azure blue eyes.

 _Gee, hopefully that justifies a lot of things._

"Oh. So you heard everything."

Max nodded awkwardly, evidently turning red of embarrassment.

Suddenly, both girls head a knock door, before it creaked open, revealing a female nurse standing in front of them.

"Hi, sorry to bother you both, but visiting hours are over. You can come back again tomorrow around 8.30," she said, a warm smile plastered on he face.

"Come on! I barely get the chance to talk to her and you already want me out? Just let me stay with her overnight?" said Chloe, as she huffed in exasperation.

"Sorry, Ms. Price. But rules are rules." the nurse replied, shrugging her shoulders. She too seemed adamant to allow Chloe to stay.

Chloe sighed as she helped Max walk to her bed and tucked her in under the white velvet of her bed. Max was caught off guard when Chloe planted a soft kiss on her forehead, gaining a sweet smile from the brunette. Max watched as she strode away from her and towards the nurse.

"You. Make sure nothing happens to her. Or else." Chloe said menacingly, causing the nurse to nod nervously in response. Max giggled silently, as Chloe slowly turned towards her.

"And you," Chloe said, pointing at Max, "get better. Listen to her. Stay alive."

Max nodded playfully, as Chloe sighed again.

"Just, don't stop fighting your fight, okay?" Chloe uttered, before she disappeared out the door along with the nurse, plunging the room into silence.

"Never."

* * *

Max sighed in relief as she turned off the shower tap. She turned her body and grabbed the white towel on the rack, drying her hair and body.

 _Finally. A shower. Alone._

"Renee! I'm done," Max called out, footsteps echoing soon after. Max could hear the bathroom door slide smoothly open, as Renee, the nurse assigned to her and the one Chloe entrusted Max upon, came into view.

"So are you excited? Finally going home?" she asked, holding Max by the shoulders.A short 'yep' emerged from Max's mouth as Renee slowly hoisted her from her showering chair. Max's slender wobbled unsteadily as they struggled to accommodate their weight, causing Max to nearly fall over. Renee was there just in time to catch her.

"Woah, woah, calm down partner! Baby steps for now," Renee said, helping Max back to her bed.

 _God, I'm scared I've been in a coma for more than 3 months. I feel like an old lady now._

As Max inched closed to her bed, which took a lot longer than she expected. Renee set her down on her bed before she disappeared out of the door momentarily, only to reappear a few seconds later, her arms filled with a new set of clothes.

"Here. Your mom tells me you're dying to put these on again. Uh, no pun intended," Renee said.

 _Awh, my generic shirt and jeans. Gotta admit, I missed these._

 _Wait hold on-_

"Renee, my mom is here? In Arcadia Bay? Now?" Max asked.

"Not just your mom, your dad to. Ryan and Vanessa took time off to come a visit you before you discharge," Renee replied, as Max fit her way through her clothes. Excitement to finally meet her parents began to mount, but was soon overcome with concern.

 _Shit, these 3 months must have hit hard on them. Not just bills, emotionally taxing as well. What do I say to them? Are they going to still keep me at Blackwell? Am I even still in Blackwell?_

 _Oh god, I don't want to go back to Seattle. Not now. Not without Chloe._

"Okay Max, you're good to go," Reese said as she helped her onto the wheelchair. Max's tense muscles relaxed as her but met the smooth leather seat. After descending to the main hospital reception, Reese pushed Max along the pristine white walls towards the lounge. Many staff on duty greeted her along the way, Max waving shyly in response.

As the Duo approached the main reception, which also housed the lounge, Max's heart began speeding up a couple of miles.

A group of noticeable people were waiting for her.

 _God, mom lost a shit ton of weight. And, shit is that white hair? She must have been worried sick. Ugh, I feel bad._

 _You don't look to bad yourself, Pop. Maybe a little rounder around the edges but still like Pop, Pop. A want a bear hug now, please._

 _There's Joyce. Happy to see her still in her diner outfit, I guess not much has changed for her. I don't know if I should take that as a good or bad thing._

 _Okay, David's still here after all that's happened. After the incident and that Prescott issue, he's still alongside Joyce and Chloe. Thank god for that._

 _And… Chloe. Jesus, she looks sorta… different. She's much more, uh, musclier? And her hair. The blue is starting to fade._

 _They all look… terrible. Is that my fault?_

The squeaking of the wheels on the wheelchair echoed as they approached the pack. Max sucked in a large column of air.

 _Time to do or dive, Max._

* * *

"Oh dear lord, Max you're here!" Vanessa cried, scrambling from her seat as Max was wheeled in towards the group.

This gained the attention of the rest, and soon Max began to see the figures all. slowly approach her. Vanessa was the first to reach, embracing her in gentle yet firm hug.

"Oh Max, I was so worried! I thought my baby girl wasn't going to wake up anymore.I should have never left you alone," Vanessa cried, her makeup slightly tarnished from the flow of tears.

"Mom, it's okay, I'm fine," Max responded, weakly. As her mother let go, Ryan large stature walked into view, a relieved smile plastered on his face.

"Hey there kiddo," Ryan said, as he engulfed Max is one of his signature hugs, "good to see you back and kicking ass."

"You too, Pop," Max said, chuckling. Joyce pushed past Ryan and also hugged Max.

"My goodness Max," said Joyce, her southern accent still strong as ever, "we were worried sick about you. It's good to see back in Arcadia Bay and fighting your fight."

Joyce gestured towards David, who stood awkwardly behind her, reluctant to say anything.

"Nice to see you alive and well soldier," David said, rubbing his neck.

"Thank you, David," Max responded.

David's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You know my name?" he asked, looking at Joyce. Max just smiled before David chuckled in response.

Max finally eyed Chloe, who strode up to her, a faint shade of red coloured her face. An awkward silence hung between them. Chloe then closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around her best friend, Max embracing her, holding her tightly.

 _Chloe, I missed these. Thank you._

"I'm glad your back, Max." Chloe said, her words although simple, meant a whole lot to Max.

"Me too," Max replied, a shy smile forming on her face.

Max stared into Chloe's eyes, as she stared back into hers. The two shared a moment, but they were abruptly interrupted.

"You promise to take care of her?" Vanessa asked, her hand holding onto Joyce's shoulder.

"Don't worry, hon. I promise to take extra good care of young Max," said Joyce, turning to look at Max, "ain't that right Max?"

Max simply nodded her head, her face turning a pale crimson red.

"Goodness I can't thank you enough, Joyce. Look, our flight leaves in a couple of hours and we really need to get restarted back on wo-" Vanessa babbled, panting in between lines.

"Vanessa, she will be fine. With me. And Chloe." Joyce responded, clutching Vanessa's arm reassuringly.

Vanessa seemed to nod in agreement, before approaching Max again.

"Please, promise me, Max. Look after yourself," Vanessa whispered, planting a soft kiss on Max's cheek.

"I will."

Vanessa embraced Max's once more before returning to her husband's side. Ryan and Vanessa both said their final goodbyes, before returning back to Seattle. As they exited the sliding doors, Vanessa, still filled concern, turned back to look at her daughter.

"Stay by their side, Max. Especially Chloe," she said.

Max looked back, a look of determination on her face.

"Always."

* * *

 **A.N hello all!**

 **This chapter was WAYY overdue, but I'm finally glad that it's done! Hopefully you all enjoy it and leave a review on this too.**

 **Expect for some more character dev and maybe(just maybe) something a little extra later on ;)**

 **peace out bois**

 **-Z.**


	7. Chapter 7: Fondness

As the blue mustang pulled up to the Price Household, Max watched in slight awe at it. The overall exterior of the house had been covered in a brand new layer of blue with the American flag flying proudly beside it. Max could hear the her door open as Chloe helped her onto the wheelchair, as David closed the car boot behind him. He fiddled with his keys momentarily, before unlocking it. As he stepped into it, Max could feel a jerk as Chloe wheeled her in. Max glanced left and right as she approached the living room. Immediately, Max eyes diverted in multiple directions, analysing her new surroundings.

 _Wow, the living room. The squarish TV, it's gone. Now there's a slick flat screen in its place. I'm still glad Chloe kept her old Nintendo console, god I would totally kill to play with her again. The couch, it's different! A blue leather one sits there, I guess the only one that ever watched TV these days is David._

 _The kitchen, the backyard, the decorations, it all feels… neater. Not that I don't like being clean, it just feels a little off. Guess I'm still. not used to it yet._

Max watched as Chloe raced towards the fridge and took out a mug of what looked like cocoa inside it, and took a big swig at it. Max watched as David shook his head, a smile plastered on his face.

"Come on, Max! There so much shit we need to catch up on, let's chill upstairs," Chloe said, as she approached Max, ready to sweep her off her feet, well not literally, because Max was in a wheelchair and… well you get the idea.

"Chloe, wait." David's voice, although much softer then Max expected, was still gruff and firm, causing the two to freeze in action, "I need to talk to Max about something, privately if possible."

"Are you fucking serious? Right now? You could have asked her in the car!" Chloe retorted, folding her arms, a look of disdain on her face.

"Please, Chloe. This is important to me. I promise this will not take long, after this you can have all the time in the world to yourselves, I don't care," David reasoned, his voice passive, instant of the aggressive tone that Max was accustomed to.

 _Pleasedontfightpleasedontfightpleasechloehesbeingnicepleas-_

Max heard a rough exhale as she braced for a shitstorm of arguments.

"Fine. Just don't take too long. I want to be with Max, okay?" Chloe said in resignation, a little hurt, before ascending up the staircase leading up to her room. As a door slammed shut, Max sighed in relief.

 _Wow, this is a surprise. This situation diffused WAY to quickly. Chloe would've got up right in David's face. Hmph._

Max sat in awkward silence as she gazed at David who took a seat in front of her, holding a mug of coffee before setting it down on the table.

"Pardon me, soldier, for the sudden burst for a conversation, but I thought I'd be polite in introducing myself," David began, clenching and unclenching his fist.

 _Be careful what you say, Max. This is an alternate timeline. David doesn't know what went down in the original one, so, watch it._

Max nodded, as she waited for David's turn to talk.

"My name is David Madsen, I uh… married Joyce three years ago and now… Chloe's stepfather," David said, cringing a little as he did so.

 _Okay, everything seems to be in order… that's good._

"Now, I know I stick out like a sore thumb in this household and maybe you feel that I may not be worthy of taking William's place," David continued, twirling his fingers along the edges of his mug, "but Joyce wanted me to be apart of this family. Therefore, I feel that it is my duty to do my best to provide for her and for my stepdaughter as best as used to tell me how amazing William was, whenever I visited the diner before we got married. She… used to tell me how he was an amazing cook, how both of you had fun and games together with him, how the three of you bonded together. For a man who can truly do all of those things and have a wonderful life, I truly have my greatest respect for him."

Max nodded her head slowly, listening intently.

"I just truly wish I can ever be up to how William used to and make Joyce and Chloe happy," David said, his head bowed in resignation.

 _Oh, David._

"David," Max began, her voice still slightly hoarse, "you don't have to live up to how William used to. He was an amazing father to Chloe in his own unique way. You are not William, and you have your own unique way of doing things. From what I've heard, you've been trying your best. It isn't easy for any army veteran to come home and dive cinder blocks deep into managing a family."

Max watched David closely, trying to garner a reaction from David.

"I mean, you don't have to take us out for walks or play with us in the backyard or whatever. We're not kids anymore. I guess, what Chloe would want, is for you to be there when she needs you. Give her the support and love that you so dearly want to show. So don't be so hard on yourself. Take your time. Don't rush things. And don't stop being the husband and father you always wanted to be," Max concluded, placing her slender hand on David's shoulder.

 _Wow, call me Mahatma Max cos' where in the world did that philosophical phase come from?_

Max looked on sympathetically, as David nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Max," David responded, his lips forming into a rare smile, "William obviously meant a whole lot to Chloe, and so do you."

At this, Max's eyebrows raised in mild surprise.

"Chloe never really had any friends, so she talks to great lengths about you."

"Yeah? Whad' she say?" Max asked, her tone a tad bit harsh.

"Well, uh, when William died, she told me you so happened wanted to leave her for Seattle because your pop got a new job there. And that you never sent a text or a letter back. And that it persisted for five years," David said, nodding.

 _Shit, I didn't realise that Chloe would talk about me to David at such a great extent at all._

"Well, she's not really wrong," Max admitted, guilt splashed all over her face.

"Max, you don't realise what you being here has done for Chloe. After you took, uh, took the bullet for her, and while you were recuperating, something clicked within her. And just like that, she changed. Visually and internally. And I think you might be the reason why. You two will get along just fine, don't worry," said David, as he patted Max reassuringly.

"Yeah, I hope so too." Max replied, a small hiccup of laughter escaping from her mouth. At that moment, a distant thumping of footsteps could be heard as a pair of feet descended down the stairs.

"ARE YOU TWO DONE YET? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER!" Chloe cried, as she sauntered down the stairs. Max and David looked at each other in response, causing them to erupt in a small fit of laughter. Max turned around in her wheelchair to see her best friend walking towards both them, moving her arms saunteringly.

"You both done? Doesn't matter, don't care. I'm here to collect my Max," Chloe said, resting her weight against the handlebars of Max's wheelchair.

"Yes, Chloe. Max and I had a very informative conversation, and as promised, you may have all the time in the world with her," David replied, calmly.

"Finally, took you long enough," Chloe muttered, sarcastically.

"Chloe…" David warned, being slightly assertive.

Max turned her attention to Chloe, watching her best friend grip the handlebars tighter. For a moment, Max feared that might blow out on him as the situation became increasingly heated.

Suddenly, Max watched as Chloe's arms scooped her entire body effortlessly off of the wheelchair and laid her gently on her shoulders, he'd legs dangling across Chloe's body.

"Sorry David, but Max and I have some catching up to do," Chloe stated, her lips forming into a cheeky smile. Max's vision blurred as Chloe turned a full 360 degrees and walked towards the steps.

"Chloe, put me down!" Max cried, giggling playfully like her 13 year old self. Max flailed her arms in protest, to no avail as Chloe's vice like grip kept her in place.

"Careful with her Chloe!" David shouted chuckling to himself. No response came from Chloe as David's words fell on deaf ears. As the duo ascended the stairs, Max nose grazed against Chloe neck. She caught a whiff a pleasant, jasmine scent that emanated off Chloe's body. Max closed her eyes, as she sought comfort in the pleasantness and comfort of Chloe's body.

 _No cigarettes? No beer? A jasmine scent? My oh my. What more is in store for me?_

* * *

Chloe's room door creaked open as Chloe laid Max gently onto her bed, Max still giggling uncontrollably. As her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, they widened and Max gasped in child-like wonder as she scanned her new surroundings.

 _Oh. Wow._

The differences were distinct and obvious. The first thing that caught Max's attention was the contrast and vibe of the room. Unlike the dark and gloomy feeling that original room had, this was much brighter. The evening sunlight poured in through the open window, lazily illuminating the room. It was as if someone slapped a pale orange filter onto Max's eyes.

Max's eyes averted towards Chloe's table, still in its original position. The Rachel Amber posters were no more; piles upon piles of Chemistry and Physics notes were scattered haphazardly on the table instead. Max picked up a random worksheet, and marveled at the neat, cursive yet tiny handwriting that was scribbled around the printed text.

"Chemical Energetics? Stoichiometry? Kinematics? Wow, this is some heavy stuff," Max teased, her brain making multiple loops, just by looking at the endless string of complex equations.

Chloe lips formed a smile as she continued ruffling through her closet.

"Yeah, mom was right. College ain't no joke," Chloe replied, causing a hiccup of laughter to escape from the brunette. Max let her eyes wonder, as she wobbled slowly around the room. It somehow felt out of place. The non-existent graffiti, the aroma of jasmine and the neat arrangement of clothes, books and just... everything.

It was if Chloe got flipped upside down.

"There, that's the last of it," Chloe sighed, as she kept the last piece of clothing in her closet. Max ears' perked up as she heard the closet creak shut and footsteps approached her.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

Max took a moment to absorb the visual signals that her eyes were sending. Bright blonde wavy hair laid elegantly behind her, traces of light blue still tactly remain. Her beige tank top, that hung loosely to the side, exposing her right shoulder and covering her blue, lacey bra. Her pair of tight jeans, accentuating her broad curves. Her plum lips, coated in a thin layer of pink lipstick. And of course, her beautiful blue eyes, innocence permeated by tragedy, but still keeping a float.

Max's heart was racing a thousand miles, and an unknown feeling began pulsating within her.

 _Wowsers. Chloe Price, you're… beautiful._

Chloe's eyes narrowed as Max sat there gazing at her for a long time.

"Earth to Max?"

"Uh, yeah… I don't know, uh… what do you want to… talk about?" Max stuttered, blushing as she averted eye contact with Chloe.

"Well, we can start by talking about you?" Chloe suggested, turning and walking towards her hi-fi player. Max's eyes caught sight of Chloe hips, that swayed from side to side, causing Max's face to turn a crimson red.

 _Max, did you just check Chloe out? Stop that! She's just your best friend, and you're not…_

 _You're not…_

 _Fuck it._

"You know what? No. Let's talk about _you_ instead," Max teased, biting her lower lip.

Chloe froze, before turning towards Max, shrugging nonchalantly, "There's really not much to know? You pretty much confirmed that you listened to all the rants that I made about the five years that you were gone. So, what else am I missing?"

Max crept towards Chloe and placed her hand onto her hip, causing the other girl to gasp in surprise as her eyes widened.

"Well, for instance, I know for a fact that you looked different about 4 months ago," Max slyly said, watching as Chloe eyes fluttered rapidly in nervousness.

"And that, well, you look pretty hot."

 _CODERED CODERED GO BACK GO BACK UNDO UNDO UN-_

"You… look pretty hot too," Chloe responded, looking away, now her turn to blush. Max stared into Chloe's eyes, as her's stared back. Suddenly, Chloe recoiled abruptly, causing a gasp to escape from Max's mouth. Chloe strode to turn on some music on the hi-fi, a light pop music coming on, much to Max's surprise.

"Uh...yeah, thanks for the...flattery. Uh, you can… chill here for awhile while, I go grab something… real quick," Chloe said, as she quickly rushed out the door. Max caught sight of Chloe face, a faint pink blush splashed all over her face.

As the door shut firmly, the room was once again plunged into silence.

Like her world, without Chloe, there is nothing.

* * *

As Max lay comfortably in Chloe's bed, she stared out the window, the bleach-white moon staring back at her. The window blowing softly and crickets chirping peacefully among the trees. Max sighed as wrapped her figure in Chloe blanket, smiling to herself.

Suddenly, the door burst forth and Chloe sauntered in, carrying an overabundance of pillows.

"Here we are, Chauffeur Chloe, at your service bringing your extra order of pillows!" Chloe proclaimed, hurling all the pillows onto Max.

Max erupted into a fit of giggles as Chloe proceeded to pounce on her, engulfing her in a sea of pillows.

"Well, honey, it's getting pretty late. And you're sick, so extra sleep for you, young woman," Chloe taunted, as she laid beside Max on the bed.

" _Yes,_ mom," Max replied, rolling her eyes.

They laid on the bed momentarily, in awkward silence.

"You know, I used to remember, back when we were kids, we used to have sleepovers like this," Chloe whispered, "I missed those times."

"Me too," Max responded, even quieter than Chloe.

"You know what else I missed?" Chloe asked, as Max's eyebrows shot up in response.

"You."

Max turned away momentarily, smiling as she blushed.

"I'm really glad we're back together."

Without warning, Max scooted closer to Chloe, embracing her friend in a big hug. Max pressed her cheeks against Chloe's chest, feeling the calm beating of her heart. Her smile grew wider as she felt a pair of arms returning the hug, tightening her in her grip.

"Well, time to get some sleep kiddo," Chloe whispered, as she turned off her bed light, "Love you, Max."

As Chloe settled in, Max eyed her figure with silent content.

Feelings began to sprout within her.

Feelings that were new.

Feelings that she didn't know if Chloe reciprocated.

Feelings for… her.

"I love you too, Chloe".

* * *

 **A.N : hi everyone!**

 **First off, first off, I wanna apologise because of the terrible upload gaps between this and the last chapter.**

 **I dislocated the wrist of my writing hand, and its been really difficult (and painful) for me to type all this.**

 **Don't worry is all good now, and I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. (p.s this one's for all of you Pricefielders).**

 **Stay tuned for more, do leave a comment and stuffs so yeah!**

 **Back at it again,**

 **-Z.**


	8. Chapter 8: Vulnerable

Life is Strange Chapter 8:

 ** _Wakey-wakey Maxie._**

 ** _It's me again._**

 ** _Don't tell me you've forgotten, the decision you made aeons ago._**

 ** _Ultimately, all good things will come to an end._**

 ** _Carpe diem, Max._**

 ** _Carpe diem._**

* * *

The blinding morning sunlight poured onto Max's face, waking her from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes lazily, stretching out her legs, yawning at the same time. She felt around for the familiar, comforting presence that should be lying beside her on the bed, but was surprised to not find anyone there. Max sat up on the bed, peering around the room, looking for Chloe. Her eyes finally laid eyes upon a familiar figure, sitting at her desk, her face buried in schoolwork. Her head occasionally bobbed forward and backwards, in tune to the music that was coming out from her earphones. Max smiled to herself, eyeing Chloe busily punching in numbers into her calculator.

Max silently crept out of Chloe's bed, hoping to surprise the living daylight out of Chloe. A malicious smile formed on her face as she stealthily rose from the bed, crawling towards Chloe. Suddenly, Max felt an overwhelming dizziness, struggling to maintain her balance. Max tried to grab onto to something to regain her balance, but slipped on the closet door and her body thumped to the floor.

Chloe's head spun quickly to the source of the noise, her eyes widening as she saw her best friend sprawled clumsily on the floor. She dropped her earphones and quickly rushed towards Max.

"Oh my goodness Max, are you okay?" Chloe asked, a tinge of panic showing in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just had a little fall, that's all. Your closet door wasn't really a good support though," Max responded, gripping onto Chloe's wrist.

Max felt her arm being slung onto Chloe's shoulder and her body being lift off the floor.

"You know, you're not technically fit to start walking yet," Chloe remarked, causing both of them to chuckle slightly. Chloe set Max down on her bed, handing her a cup of water quench her thirst.

"So, how was your sleep?" Chloe asked, sitting beside her. "Sorry if I snore in my sleep, the cold weather is starting to dawn upon us here in Arcadia Bay. Beats being at the hospital, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's cool. Your bed is really comfy, it's like 5 times better than my bed in my dorm," Max responded, taking another sip from her cup.

Chloe nodded her head in agreement.

"Do you usually wake up this early? Isn't it too early to hit the books?" Max asked, looking at the conglomerate amount of notes and books piled on Chloe's table.

"Well, the entrance exam is in a few days time, and I'm really stressing out since I'm waaaaay behind the other students." Chloe sighed, "sometimes I wished I didn't fuck up my life so hard until I have to resort to this."

Max's eyebrows raised in curiosity, intrigued by Chloe's confession.

"What do you mean?" Max asked, looking at Chloe.

Chloe continued to stare forward, averting her eyes from Max's gaze.

"After my dad died, I was so self-consumed into believing that everything in my life was going wrong for me. I blamed everyone and everything apart from myself for all the things wrong in my life. But then you came, and after what went down in the bathroom that day, I realised that the problems in my life began because I made it happened."

Max placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder, hoping to invoke a sense of comfort in her.

"I realised that people around were actually trying to help me get on the right track, but I just pushed them away. It's not that nobody was there to help me, it's just that chose to push them away. Sometimes I wonder what would happen to me if you didn't come into my life again."

This turn, Chloe turned towards Max, a sad smile forming on her face.

"You really are a blessing in disguise, Max. I don't know what I would do without you."

 _Oh, Chloe, you're sweeter than a cinnamon roll._

"I'm just glad you've gotten your life back together. Just know I'll always be here to support you, no matter what."

Chloe nodded her head.

"Okay."

That one single word carried a profound meaning for Max. To her, gaining the trust back of her best friend was the only thing that she cared about at this juncture.

Without hesitating, Max wrapped her arms around Chloe, pressing her cheek against Chloe's shoulder. She gripped tight, silently hoping she was able to keep Chloe to this material plane. The two sat in silence, as birds continued chirping noisily outside.

"Max! Chloe! Wakey wakey eggs n' bakey!"

Max's ears perked up at Joyce's voice as she heard distinct knocks on the door. The two turned to look at each other, before laughing softly.

"Guess it's time to get some grub?"

* * *

David scanned the main headline of the daily newspaper, the paper in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. His eyes averted momentarily to his wife Joyce, busy frying bacon in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the family. David smiled to himself, before returning his attention to the newspaper. David began reading the article and, without realising, began drowning in the strings upon strings of words. His smile began to dissipate, as his eyes slowly descended the page, slowly forming into a frown. His eyebrows began to burrow.

"David, everything alright?" asked Joyce, appearing out of thin air, momentarily stunning David. David sighed in resignation as he took another sip from his coffee.

"Read this."

David proceeded to hand over the newspaper to Joyce, who looked at him in confusion. David looked on as Joyce began to emulate his reactions upon reading the article.

"What? How is this even possible?"

David shook his head in resignation.

"I guess we all underestimated the Prescotts' power. It seems that money and power _can_ twist what happens in court."

Joyce began pacing back and forth in the dining room.

"There is just one thing I do not get: why him over their own flesh and blood?" she asked, causing David to shrug in response.

"I really don't know, Joyce."

Joyce took a seat next to David, wrapping her arms around his neck comfortingly.

"Just when I thought that the end of the Prescott saga was already upon us," David remarked, solemnly.

"There's no stopping them, is there?"

David shook his head, putting his arm around Joyce.

"I guess we all have to be extra careful. I'll ask the guys at the police station to keep an extra lookout."

Their ears perked up when they heard footsteps descend the stairs from the second floor of the house. They were surprised to see Chloe cradling Max in her arms, Max's eyes closed, it was as if she was still sleeping. They smiled as Chloe approached the dining table.

"You haven't woken her up yet?" Joyce cheekily remarked.

"What? What do yo- oh Max! Did you fall asleep again!?" Chloe cried in exasperation. Max giggled loudly as she opened her eyes to look at Chloe.

"You're such as dork," Chloe retorted, setting her down in a chair at the dining table, causing both Joyce and David to laugh in unison.

Chloe then proceeded to sit next to Max, the duo facing Joyce and David.

"Did you have a good sleep, Max?" Joyce asked, placing a handful of pancakes on Max's plate.

"Yes, I did. Thank you, Joyce," Max replied, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears. Cutlery began clunking noisily as the family began to tuck into breakfast. As Max's teeth sunk into the soft texture of Joyce's pancakes, Max's taste buds lit up, reminiscing the first time she and Chloe savoured on pancakes at the Two Whales Diner.

 _It's as good as I remember. Hopefully, this never changes._

"What about you, Chloe? You were up pretty early today, what were you doing?" Joyce commented, focusing on Chloe, who was chewing hungrily on a piece of bacon.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Just trying to get some Chemistry revision done. Organic chem is such a fucking pain in the ass, it's annoying," Chloe nonchalantly responded, without looking up from her plate.

"Chloe…" David responded, a hint of aggression in his voice causing Chloe to stop munching on her food momentarily and look up.

"Oh...right. Yeah, yeah, sorry, it's still kinda difficult for me to stop swearing. I'll try my best, okay, so you guys can chill," Chloe said in resignation. Max turned to look at Joyce, noticing a subtle smile forming on her face.

 _I hear you, Joyce. She's seen so much of Chloe's *ahem* "bad" side, that when Chloe is willing to make positive changes in her life, it's as if… her whole world just lights up. She must be so proud of Chloe._

The remainder of the meal was filled with bits and pieces of small talk, taking the two teens back to their old days in the backyard, as well as light-hearted banter as all of them began rekindling their most unforgettable memories. To Max, this seemed like the most important thing in her life.

"I would love to stick around to chat more, but unfortunately my job does not permit me to do so. If you all can excuse me, as I head up to change," David said, standing from his seat, before placing his dirty plate into the sink. Max turned as she watched David walk ascend up the stairs, distinctly hearing the bedroom door slam shut.

"He's such a gentleman, isn't he?" Joyce uttered dreamily, tuning to Max for a response.

"Ugh, come on, Mom. Not in front of Max," Chloe responded in ironic disgust, "it's contagious."

"He's alright, he seems like a cool dad," Max remarked, smiling in return.

Chloe jumped up from her seat dramatically and gasped exaggeratingly.

"Mom! Look what you did! You've contaminated Max! Max, don't worry, I'm sure I have a cure for 'EverybodylikesDavid-itis', there is no need to panic!" Chloe cried, in feigned panic. Max burst into laughter at Chloe's hilarious antics, and Joyce to shake her head disapprovingly, but still revealing a smile on her face.

"Don't be so mean to him, Chloe. You know he's a nice man," Joyce reminded.

"Yeah, Mom. You know I'm just playing," Chloe bubbled playfully, sitting down once again.

Their ears perked up once again as they heard heavier footsteps come down the steps. Max turned around as gasped silently as she saw David standing near the door waiting to leave. He sported a blue uniform, with dark, shiny boots and his hair was combed slickly and held in place with what she presumed to be wax. Max remarked humorously that David's manstache managed to retain its form without wax.

 _Wait, David is… a cop now? He's a cop? What happened to that security guard at Blackwell thing?_

Max looked on incredulously, trying to absorb the changes that she didn't realise were occurring in her alternate life.

"Well, I hope you girls have something planned for today because both of us won't be back until pretty late. By 'we', I mean me, because Brenda apparently called in 'sick' today, and that means I would have to cover her shift for her. But, David should be back home by late afternoon," Joyce addressed, standing up from her table. She strolled casually to the front door, grabbed her purse, before straightening out the creases that had yet to disappear on David's uniform.

"Well, we'll see you girls in the evening," David called out, to Max and Chloe.

"See you guys!"

"Bye you two!" Max's hoarse voice cracking as the last syllable croaked out. The door slammed shut, and the house was plunged into immediate silence.

* * *

"You know, I was gonna do a bit of studying today, like cover some math, a little bit chemistry, or even American History, but you know what I say? Fuck it! I wanna spend some awesome time with my best friend," Chloe chirped, carrying the dirty dishes to the sink.

Max nodded her head, a tinge of excitement began building up inside.

"What do you have in mind?" Max inquired, her lips forming into a shy smile.

"Well, let's talk about us. I need to assess the extent of the damage caused by you falling asleep for a gazillion years," Chloe cheekily remarked.

"Ugh, you're mean. But, okay sure let's do it."

With one swift motion, Chloe swept Max up onto her shoulders and gently placed her on the couch. Chloe then catapulted herself next to Max.

"Okay, so let's play a game. I ask you 3 questions, you ask me 3 questions. Cool?"

Max nodded, her eyes looking right into Chloe's eyes gazingly.

"So, uno, do you still have a hard-on for photography?"

 _Sure as hell I do._

"Yeah, I guess I do. Polaroid photos are still in thing for me."

"Awesome!" Chloe responded, "next question, do you remember what your life was like in Blackwell?"

 _Chloe, I know it from the back of my palm. Who could ever forget Blackwell?_

"Ugh, you're making it seem like I lost my memory," Max chided, "but I do. Long story short, I'm just that lonely wallflower that takes Polaroid photos and passes in and out of school unnoticed."

Chloe bit her bottom lip, her lips flattening.

"Not even boys want a piece of Max Caulfield?"

Max nudged Chloe in response.

"Eww, you're gross. Buuuut, there is this guy, Warren. He's really nice to me, and by the looks of it, really into me. He's nerdy and awkward too, and just generally a really cool dude. But I don't know, I really don't reciprocate his feelings."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, curious.

"I… kinda like someone else. AND I won't tell you who. That's for you to find out!" Max replied coyly, biting her lower lip.

 _I only like you, Chloe Price. Wait no, scrap that. I like LIKE you._

"Ooh, I like mysteries. I'll sure be able to find out who this mystery person is!"

Max chuckled quietly, clenching and unclenching her fists

"Okay, next question!"

"Wait," Max interjected, holding her hand out, "didn't you already use all 3 of your questions?"

Chloe paused, pondering over Max's thought momentarily.

"Ah shit, really? Max, you fuckin' suck." Chloe retorted, causing another giggle to escape from Max, "okay, so what do you wanna know *slash* ask?"

 _Shit, what do I wanna know? Argh, there's so much stuff to ask, but only 3 questions. Better think of something fast before things get awkward._

"So… uh… Chloe, how would you say your life has changed over the course of these 4 years?"

Max's eyes caught Chloe's eyebrows shoot up, clearly demonstrating how stumped she was over the question.

"Wow Max, way to pull out the big guns early on," Chloe remarked, shifting her body on the couch, "well, I think my life could be easily summed using an upside-down bell curve." As she said this, Chloe illustrated the shape of the bell curve using her finger to give Max a visual understanding of what she was intending to imply.

"Y'know when my dad died and you left, my life began a little bit shitty. I felt pretty much alone and I really had no one to be with," Chloe said, drawing a line with a gentle gradient.

"But things took a turn for the worse. I got up in bad, bad company. I took drugs, smoked, got into all sorts of trouble… uh, get expelled… get into even more trouble up until the moment in the bathroom," Chloe continued, as she brought her finger lower and lower, synonymous with her state of life at that point.

 _Okay, everything seems to be in check._

"But then, you suddenly appeared in my life. And what happened in the bathroom really opened my eyes to what was happening. It was kinda a wake-up call for me and I realised I was going into a downward spiral and I needed to get my life back in order." Max's eyes watched as Chloe rose her finger steadily indicating the dramatic turn of events in Chloe's life.

"I'm really proud of how much you have changed your life for the better," Max replied softly, placing her hand on Chloe's as a sign of assurance. Chloe nodded her head in response, smiling widely.

"Speaking of which," Chloe said suddenly, shooting up from her seat, "D'you wanna see a picture of me prior to the incident?" Max observed as Chloe made her way to one of the albums on the shelf near the kitchen. Max remained silent as she was lost in her own thoughts.

 _Oh gosh, it would really weird to see the original Chloe again. No, Max, this Chloe is the original Chloe. Or is she? Shit, I'm confused._

"Here ye ar!" Chloe proclaimed, handing Max the polaroid of herself. Max grabbed the picture gingerly and was taken aback by what she saw. It was the same old Chloe; bright-blue hair, edgy piercings, and of course, the colourful yet expressive tattoos.

"Wow, you really look different," Max commented, her eyes oscillating between Chloe in the picture and Chloe in real life.

 _Wowsers, the differences are starking. Here in this picture, I see an edgy-rebellious Chloe. And now, I see a pure-innocent Chloe. Jesus, this is messed up, but in a positive way, I guess?_

"By the way, are you still rocking those tats?" Max asked, playfully.

"Psh, of course," Chloe replied, rolling up her sleeves, exposing the tattoos still in perfect shape and colour, "but I'm planning on getting it removed though. Need to summon enough fucking balls to get that done."

 _Awh, I always liked Chloe's tats. Should I tell her? Maybe next time, girl._

"Hmm, okay," Max interjected awkwardly, scratching her neck, "next question, what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

 _Since I'm down this rabbit hole, might as well right?_

"Uh, pirates? Sailing the seven seas searching for unfound treasure and booty?" Chloe remarked cheekily, causing a short burst of laughter to escape from both girls, "but seriously, I always wanted to be a scientist. Not sure what kind, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. There must be some god-forsaken topic in chemistry that excites me."

"Yeah, I was kinda expecting that." Max responded, "okay last question." At that moment, no words escaped from Max's mouth.

 _Should I ask her about our relationship? Or… what do I ask?_

 _Y'know what? Fuck it._

"Chloe," Max began, her voice quivering slightly, "what do you think of me?"

It was as if the entire house had plunged into silence when Max uttered that last syllable. Max observed Chloe fall silent, clearly taken aback by the question. Chloe's eyes averted contact with Max's as she pondered over the question. Max was momentarily alarmed as she heard a sniff escape from Chloe. As Chloe's blue eyes met Max's, she could see a layer of water permeating the surface of her eyelids. Chloe grasped Max's wrists in both of her hands, handling it gently as if she were afraid that it would break.

"Max, when I look at you, I feel really, really guilty. When I look at you now, your face," Chloe uttered, cupping Max cheeks with her hands, "I… cannot imagine how beautiful you are, despite what happened. I cannot imagine how beautiful you must be when life goes back to normal. When Nathan shot you in that bathroom, I… just couldn't bear the guilt of knowing that I _ruined_ my best friend."

At that moment, Max didn't realise that little by little, tears began cascading down her face.

"But look at you! You're… you're so pretty! "

"Chloe," Max muttered, her face turning red from embarrassment, "I'm not that pretty. At least, I don't really think so."

"Yes, you are!" Chloe cried, gently wiping away Max's tears using her fingers, "you're the most amazing person I have ever met. It doesn't matter what other people think. I just want you to know that you're amazing and _nothing_ will ever change that."

Max's gaze never shifted away from Chloe' eyes. It's true you can tell something about somebody just by looking into their eyes. She had never seen Chloe so vulnerable to someone in her entire life, maybe not even to William.

"Max…" Chloe choked out, clearly holding back the tears. Chloe's eyes met Max's once again, their faces barely a foot apart from each other. Suddenly, Max felt a pair of lips meet hers, a warm, soothing sensation overcoming the emptiness she felt. Max's eyes fluttered open momentarily, seeing Chloe lips gently caressing hers.

 _Chloe…_

Max was in awe, her lips swiftly moving to the pace of Chloe's movement. All of a sudden, their lips parted as Chloe slowly pulled back from Max, causing Chloe's breathing to labour.

"Chloe...I-"

"I'm sorry, Max. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen. I don't know what came over me, I know you feel weird, I'm so duper fucking weird and-" Chloe babbled, getting up without finishing her sentence, running towards the stairs.

"Chloe, wait!" Max cried, but her pleas fell on deaf ears, as footsteps echoed ascending the stairs before her room door slammed shut.

Max sat in silence, as she wiped away the tears from her eyes, she touched her lips with her fingers feeling a sweet lingering sensation emanating from her lips.

* * *

 **A.N : So. I have been gone for quite a while. 5 months to be exact, holy cow. School has been pretty busy for me with exam prep and whatever, but since that's now over I can now concentrate in writing more stories! I decided to make this chapter longer to make up for the time Iv'e been gone so I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **See ya!**

 **-Z.**


	9. Chapter 9: Flair

"What a shitty start to the day."

David gazed out of his car window, peering off into the distance as he waited the turn signal to change. Light hip-hop music echoed in the background in his car, masking the distasteful sound of the rattling his mustang's engine. When it did change, his gaze turned towards the road ahead, as his car began accelerating forward into the distance. It was evidently going to be arduous day ahead; adjusting to his new position as a result of the fame he received from the incident is proving much harder than the veteran initially thought. Shifting from managing high school students to handling actual criminals; the reality hasn't really sunk in for him.

"As much as I want to be a little bit more compassionate for the sake of my family, being firm unwavering is still part of my job."

David played this mantra over and over in his head, hoping the message will finally seep in. Without him realising, he saw the turn into his new workplace approaching. Arcadia Bay Police Department. From a low-life security guard to an actual, respectable cop. David slowly pressed on the brake as his car grinded to a halt in front of the office. Adjusting his belt, he got out of his car and strode into the office. The door squeaked open, the warmth of the heater giving him some respite from the cool fall temperatures.

"Morning, David!"

"Morning, Officer Corn, how's your weekend?" David responded, placing his belongings on his new deskspace.

"Oh, same old, same old. Been a boring weekend. I think the most entertaining thing that happened was when me and Rossi told some students to get the hell off the street. You know them and their skateboards are a menace to the drivers on the road."

"Yeah, god damn teenagers," David replied, a tinge of resignation in his voice. David began cleaning up his station, when his eyes glanced upon a picture frame sitting neatly on his desk. It was of him and Chloe; a haphazard selfie, with Chloe producing a rock sign as she smiled cheekily into the camera much to David's annoyance.

Chloe has changed a lot, and quite drastic too. Have I been too hard on her, is she changing because of me?

Don't think about it so negatively, Madsen. Chloe's changed for the better and you can see it. Give yourself a pat on the shoulder.

And David did pat himself, his mouth forming a rare smile.

"Hey uh, David?" Officer Corn' voice echoing in the background, "you know the Prescott case?"

David froze, before getting up from his seat, approached Officer Corn with a coffee mug in his hand.

"Yeah, what about it?" David tone coming off a lot more stern than he intended.

"We got an inmate delivered to us at 5:49 in the morning, says he's been relocated from Oregon State Penitentiary, due to be released when Lt. Rossi comes in to sign his release." David's hair stood on end as Matthews' last syllable was uttered.

What?! I cannot believe this.

"Come on, sir," David pleaded, "that guy is a… menace to society! Surely we can't just let him walk free like that?"

David watched as his superior heaved a sigh of defeat.

"As much as a righteous fellow like you wants him behind bars, the court has ruled for his release and it is against his rights if we detain him without a valid reason."

I guess this is something you have to come to terms with, David.

"What's going on here?"

David's ears perked up to a familiar voice as he came face to face to Lieutenant Rossi, winter jacket in hand.

"Oh, Lieutenant Rossi, so glad you're here! We just received a inmate fr-"

"Yes, thank you I've been alerted to our special guest today. Let's make sure he gets a good send off before he's released."

He turned his gaze to face David, who was looking at him expectantly.

"Madsen. As the arresting officer, would you like to lead the way?"

David froze. A feeling of nervousness swept over him unexpectedly, as if he was going to sit for a test, momentarily losing his tough guy image.

"I want to see him."

Both were clearly taken aback by David's sudden interjection, before nodding their heads. In the back of David's mind, he knew he couldn't stop whatever corrupt institution letting that psychopath free. But he knew with whatever power he can salvage he can deter such crimes from happening again.

"Shall we proceed?"

* * *

David began sweating nervously, as Rossi began unlocking the door to the station's temporary detention centre. As both men stepped in dull grey colours lined the mundane jail walls, loosely covered in a layer of spider webs, reinforcing the idea that the station needed major renovation to conform to the brink of basic human standards. David followed behind Officer Corn, baton in one hand and jail keys in the other.

"Rise and shine inmate! Stand up!" he bellowed, rattling the bars of the jail cell with his baton.

David eyes focused on the silhouette, watching as a scrawny hand rose and wiped its face.

"You have me chained to the bed."

David's hairs stood on end as the unnerving yet soothing tone of its voice increased his apprehension. Officer Corn turned towards his superior, for a gesture of approval.

"Go ahead, Madsen, Corn. Do what's necessary." replied Lieutenant Rossi, folding his arms. David followed Officer Corn into the cell, also preparing one baton in his hand. As the jail cell door closed behind them, David suddenly realised how confined it was. If he were to lay down perpendicular from end to end of the cell, he was guaranteed to an uncomfortable sleep that night.

"Ah, Mr Madsen. Long time no see."

"Cut the bullshit. Whatever happened in court doesn't change the opinion that we, the police, and the general public has on you. You will be forever revered as the sole person to ruin the Prescotts."

David's eyes were staring bullets into his.

"Oh, well. Jokes on you, Mr Madsen. Today, I'll be a free man. Guess all your hard work to get that promotion from being a stalking security guard to a legitimate cop will all go to waste, won't it?"

Just as David was about to respond, Officer Corn interjected.

"Officer Madsen has helped us take you down. In addition to other assistance rendered in resolving the dissemination of drugs in our community, I think he has earned his spot in the investigative department."

"Investigative department, huh? Truly a stalker."

By now, David was clenching his fist, resisting the urge to square him in the face.

"We will be keeping a close eye on you. We will make sure that one wrong slip and you're back in the place you belong," David warned, his voice growling.

"Oh, really? Look out how that turned out the last time. You didn't even have a speck of evidence that it was me until your slutty daughter got fucking shot. Investigative department… my ass."

By now, David was seething with rage and was he was finding it difficult controlling his emotions.

"Watch it inmate, your words will be used against you so you watch your tongue." Officer Corn responded, the keys jingling as he shook his baton. David slowly approached the figure, till he was face to face with his almighty foe.

"You… will not get away with this..."

"Jefferson."

Mark smiled back in defiance, clearly showing that he was not done.

"I'll be the judge of that," he spat back.

"Okay, that's enough. Stand up inmate," Officer Corn commanded, unlatching the handcuff from Mark's hand. He stood up, face to face with David. David realised how much buffer Jefferson had become, intimidating him slightly. Officer Corn shoved clothes into Jefferson's arms, ordering them to put them on.

"You won't survive out there. Even if you tried," David retorted, folding his arms.

"Trust me, I fought off faggots in prison to get in this shape, so I'll find somehow to survive."

As Jefferson was escorted out of the police station, he turned back to face David, one last time.

"Say hello to Max and Chloe for me. Especially Max. I'm sure she misses me."

* * *

 **A.N : Dun Dun Dun! What would happen next? Hmm, I wonder. Who knows?**

 **-Z.**


End file.
